Fans watching cricket at The Oval this afternoon (Thursday, August 31) had to be evacuated and were told to "take cover" after an arrow or crossbow dart was fired into the field of play during the Surrey's match against Middlesex.

Police were called to the sports venue, in Lambeth, at 4.35pm to reports of a projectile being set off while the match was stopped and players sprinted off of the field.

Oliver Florence, a reporter for our sister title Get Surrey , is at the scene and said he saw armed officers enter the venue.

An announcement made to the crowd at around 4.40pm said: "There has been a very serious incident.

"A projectile has been fired into the field of play... The advice from our chief executive and from security and the police is that everybody should go indoors."

Initially, the cause of the match stopping was described online as "crowd trouble" - but police then confirmed that either an arrow or crossbow dart was launched at the field of play.

The venue is now being evacuated by police, a spokesman for the Met said.

The spokesman said: "Police were made aware at 4.35pm on Thursday, 31 August of reports that an arrow or crossbow bolt had been loosed into the Oval Cricket ground.

"Officers are on scene and the ground is in the process of a controlled evacuation.

"There are no reported injuries.

"At this early stage it is believed that the object came from outside of the ground."

No arrests have yet been made in connection with the incident and officers are "keeping an open mind" as to the motive withe enquiries continue, the spokesman added.

The Met has confirmed the incident is not being treated as terrorism-related

Shortly before 4.30pm, when play stopped because of the arrow falling on the square, Middlesex were 214-7, though the match has now been abandoned.

Surrey player Stuart Meaker tweeted at 4.27pm, writing: "Well...we have just officially gone off the field because a metal tipped arrow just landed on the pitch!!"